The practice of lifestyle medicine has been revolutionized by advances in technology and artificial intelligence (AI). While AI won’t replace a practitioner’s guidance on broad medical processes, AI-powered tools have enabled healthcare professionals to deliver highly personalized preventive care and provide patients with the opportunity to make healthier lifestyle choices. Likewise, several types of AI are already being employed by payers and providers of care, along with life sciences companies.
Even Apple is jumping in on the AI bandwagon. According to a report by Insider, Apple is working on a new AI-powered health coaching service that will use data from various sources such as Apple Watch to provide personalized health advice and coaching to users. The service will also reportedly include emotional tracking tools to help users manage their mental health. While Apple has not yet confirmed these plans, the company has previously expressed interest in the health and wellness space and has been expanding its health-related offerings through its various devices and services.
In this article, we will explore how AI technology is impacting the practice of lifestyle medicine.
- Personalized recommendations: AI algorithms can analyze large amounts of data from a patient’s medical history, lifestyle habits, and other factors to generate personalized recommendations for improving their health. These recommendations could include diet and exercise plans, stress management techniques, and other lifestyle modifications.
- Early detection: AI can help identify early signs of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer by analyzing patterns in patients’ health data. This can enable healthcare providers to intervene earlier and potentially prevent the disease from progressing.
- Remote monitoring: AI-powered wearable devices and sensors can continuously monitor patients’ health metrics such as heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep patterns, and alert healthcare providers if any abnormalities are detected. This can enable more proactive and personalized care, especially for patients who live in remote areas or have limited access to healthcare.
- Improved patient engagement: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide patients with personalized guidance and support for lifestyle modifications, such as quitting smoking, improving sleep habits, and managing stress. This can improve patient engagement and adherence to recommended lifestyle changes.
Overall, AI has the potential to transform lifestyle medicine practices by enabling more personalized, proactive, and effective care for patients. Dr. Seema Sarin, MD, FACLM, author of The Practitioner’s Guide to Lifestyle Medicine said it best: “The biggest contributors to creating successful behavior change are recognizing the patient’s needs, beliefs, motives, self-regulation, habits, and resources available. This is why a tailored approach and not a one-size-fits-all is so critical. Automated care path technology can be essential for personalizing a place for each individual based on these areas in a highly scalable and cost-effective manner.”
AI is poised to deliver efficient, timely, and more personalized care; however, it’s important to note that AI should be used in conjunction with, and not as a replacement for, human healthcare providers.
